MANCHESTER UNITED’S FUTURE HEADING WHERE EXACTLY ?
Where is Manchester United's future heading? Can Mourinho really be the man to bring a Trophy home to Old Trafford once again or has the time for Manchester United to move on from Jose Mourinho?
Other problems such as how can Manchester United return to getting the best out of Romelu Lukaku? Should Romelu Lukaku even be considered the best option for the number 9 position or will other players such as Alexis Sanchez, Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial do a better job as the striker than Romelu Lukaku is doing at the moment?
Other problems such as how can Manchester United return to getting the best out of Romelu Lukaku? Should Romelu Lukaku even be considered the best option for the number 9 position or will other players such as Alexis Sanchez, Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial do a better job as the striker than Romelu Lukaku is doing at the moment?
These questions and much more might be the questions running through the thoughts of Manchester United owners and the thoughts of Manchester United fans as 2018 slowly comes to a close. With all the recent negativity heading towards Manchester United’s direction at the moment, the Red Devils might still consider their season as poor but the damage was done to Manchester United's season so far can still be salvaged as the Red Devils remain in the 8th spot in the Premier League table and find themselves within touching distance of qualifying past the group stages of this seasons UEFA Champions League competition. Not a bad position for any other club to find themselves in truthfully and while Manchester United owners might appear content with Manchester United's current state, Manchester United fans seem to have taken a different view to the clubs current situation.
See that is the great thing about Manchester United fans, the fans care about about whether or not Manchester United succeeds in the future. They want to see the club succeeding once again. But as invigorating as the thought of Manchester United fans working together to help stir the club back to the top, waking up to stories on Manchester United intent on renewing contracts on the club two fullbacks who are both on the cusp of turning 35 years old in 2019 might be a matter that shows exactly which direction Manchester United's future is heading. Last week was a timeline that could simply be described as a week to forget in the minds of a high number of Manchester United fans around the world. Not only did Manchester United step into the Etihad stadium without the clubs number one superstar Paul Pogba but Manchester United fans witnessed first hand the gap between the Red Devils and arch-rivals Manchester City.
Embarrassing will not even begin to describe Manchester United's performance during last weeks big Derby as the final statistics got from the match placed Manchester United ball possession at barely 35% and registering a total of just 6 shots with only one of those 6 shots being on target. Now this news from sources such as the independent news and Manchester Evening News reporting that Manchester United duo Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young both almost 35 years of age, you have to wonder where the Manchester United community stands on this decision. In some ways, some might consider this decision as a metaphor for how stagnant Manchester United future appears at this point in time.
Here is a question that needs to be pondered over: should Manchester United settle for just securing the services of both Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia this January or will Manchester United booster the club this January? Here is the main point to consider, anyone who studies the analytical side of modern football will surely point out at least one clear, common, observations that appear ever-present in different leagues around the globe and this common theme appearing amongst different football leagues worldwide is successful football clubs today have more than one quick, young, fullbacks. For a recent example of how vital a quick fullback is to any team aiming to succeed then look no further than the highlights of the recently held Manchester derby.
Manchester City arrived at the Manchester Derby which took place recently
completely took control of the match through expansive, fast, football enforced with the help of young players such as Benjamin Mendy ( 24 years) and Kyle Walker (28). Both fast, both young and both always willing to have at run the opponents from the flanks which completely draws a lot of attention from the opponent's defense creating gaps which Manchester City can easily break through. Football 101.
Quick, young, fullbacks just make life a lot better and quick full backs simply afford any team with a lot more space to be creative. Unfortunately for Manchester United, with the new contract extension recently offered to Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young, the presence of young full-backs will continue to be a luxury Manchester United cannot afford. At least not until July 2019.
Therefore, Manchester United look set to settle for a place in the top four spots in the Premier League table and once again conclude another season without a trophy unless some huge miracle happens by the end of this season. Always been the same neverending story with Manchester United for the past six seasons, finish within the top four spots of the Premier League table but avoid winning any significant trophies because the club struggles to go head to head when facing top clubs. Expansive, fast attacking strategies win football matches in the modern era. Manchester United appear to increasingly struggle to keep up with the pace of modern football and unfortunately the trend is set to remain present until Manchester United come to terms with the reality that a vast majority of success waiting to be gained in modern football will rely, immensely, on the pace of any team through the flanks.
There is no doubt that the players currently occupying the flanks for Manchester United are very good players. However, clear evidence of the data gotten from matches played in this new Premier League and Champions League era proves for any football club to be successful in this modern era of football, the club must have some of the fastest, healthiest, players operating on the flanks. This is not to say that veteran players should be abandoned by their clubs, far from the idea.
However, for Manchester United to fully succeed in the future, quickness must be an integral part of the team. No one has said, rewarding veteran players is not a
positive move but rewarding veteran players with a contract extension and also actively signing one or two young full backs this upcoming January transfer window will be the better, innovative move to take. Taking the action of signing one or two, young, fullbacks during the 2019 January transfer window will signal a move by Manchester United built on the intent of winning trophies in the very near future.
positive move but rewarding veteran players with a contract extension and also actively signing one or two young full backs this upcoming January transfer window will be the better, innovative move to take. Taking the action of signing one or two, young, fullbacks during the 2019 January transfer window will signal a move by Manchester United built on the intent of winning trophies in the very near future.
